Tennis racket and the like



Patented June 16, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM L LARNED, 0F SUMMIT, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO THE DAYTON STEELRACQUET COMPANY, OFF DAYTON, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

TENNIS RACKET AND THE LIKE.

Application led January 30, 1922. Serial No. 532,754.

To all 101mm, it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM A. LARNED, a citizen of the United States,residinA at Summit, in the county of Union and tate of New Jersey, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Tennis Rackets 'ter willnot be'scraped or cut by passing through numerous holes. Instead, theStringing will pass from the inside to the outside holes in the weldedpieces, through registering slots whose edges the strings need not touchto be worn down by them.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view, partly insection, of the tubular met-al frame and bridge-piece of my improvedtennis racket. Figure 2 is a side elevational view of the same. Figure 3is a cross sectional view taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 1 to show thegrooved outer periphery of the tubular frame, And Figure 4 is a crosssectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Figure 1 to show the inwardly`beveled string receiving holes in the tubular frame.

Throughout the specification and drawings, similar reference charactersdenote corresponding parts.

In the accompanying drawings illustrating my improvements, the numeral 1designates a tubular tennis racket frame constructed of carbon,heat-treated steel or other metallic material and bent into the shapeshown in Figure 1. This tubular frame 1 terminates in two ends 2, 2which, after curving inwardly at the throat 3, roject in straight linesinto a wooden han le 4. Those parts of the ends of the tubular frametl'rat project into the handle 4 are apertured to lighten them, as shownin Figures 1 and 2.

suitably formed in the outer periphery of that part of the head of thetubular frame 1 which is likely to touch the ground when a ball is hiton the latter2 is a groove 5 to receive the bends of a Stringing 6 forthe purpose of preventing it from being scraped or cut through contactwith the ground. The

Stringing 6 is strung through holes 7 that are bored and depressed fromthe inside of the frame so as to bevel inwardly, and holes 8 that arebored and depressed from the outside of the frame so as to bevelinwardly. The Stringing is thus received in such a manner as to preventthe formation in it of sharpI bends that would cause it to wear andbreak. (See Figures 1, 3 and 4.) Furthermore, by forming the holes 7 and8 so as t'o bevel inwardly, there is presented to the Stringing a crosssectional part of the frame which is adapted to be easily compressed bythat portion of the Stringing which encircles it, `to impart ak certainresiliency to that Stringing when it receives the impact of the ball, inaddition to the resiliencyimparted to it by the yielding property of theoval head ot the frame as a whole. A Referring to Figure 1, the numeral9 designates a crescent shaped, hollow, bridgepiece which is preferablyconstructed of the same metallic material as the tubular frame proper.This bridge-piece also contains the inwardly-beveled, stringreceivingholes 7 in its concave portion. In its convex portion it has ytwocentral inwardlybeveled stringreceiving holes 8, 8 between two elongatedslots 10, 10 formed near the ends of said portion of the bridge-piece.(See Figure 1.)

The bridgepiece 9 is adapted to be welded to the downwardly curved partsof the tubular frame 1, at points where the slots 10, 10 will registerwith, or come over, similarl slots 11, 11 formed in that frame. (Seedotted lines in Figure 1.) It is thus necessary to pass the Stringingthrough but two inwardly beveled holes in the welded portions, to wit,the holes 7 in the concave part of the bridgepiece and the holes 8 inthe outer periphery of the tubular frame, said Stringing passing fromone hole to the other through the registering slots l0 and 11 withouttouching the metal forming their edges. The Stringing is thus savedfrom; injury that might be done to it by passing through four inwardlybeveled holes instead of two. lt is thus seen thaty my improvedbridge-piece when welded to the tubular frame, not only reinforces thelatter, but protects the Stringing which is connected to that framethrough the bridgeiece. p Having described my invention, I claim 1. Atennis racket comprising a tubular metal frame, a tubular metalbridge-piece ronnected to said frame at its throat portion, :and :ilstringing for said frame, said tubular hridgeqiiece and tubular framecontaining large registering holes in their meeting Walls to permit thepassaf'e of the Stringing therethrough without injury to the same.

E2. A tennis racket comprising a, tubular metal frame, and acrescent-shaped tubular metal bridge-piece adapted to be Welded to seidframe, said bridge-piece containing inwardly beveled string receivingholes in its outer concave portion, and inwardly-beveled holes at thecenter, and elongated slots at the side, of its inner convex portion.

3. A tennis racket comprising a tubular metal frame, a Stringing forsaid frame, and a tubular n'letal bridge-piece adapted to ho welded tosaid frame, said bridge-piece and tubular frame containing elongatedregister'- ing slots in their inner Walls to permit the passage of theStringing therethrough Without frictional Contact with the same.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 26 day of January,1922.

WILLIAM A. LARNEI).

Witness HOWARD S. SMITH.

